Category: Grocery Store

Executive summary

Customers of Best Food Superstores are disgruntled because of the unpleasant experiences they go through while shopping at the store. Brenda, who has been a customer for the last 30 years, has decided to make her complaints known to the president of Best Food Superstores by writing him a letter. Some of the complaints include being charged incorrect prices, unsatisfactory customer service, and lack of employee ethics.

Brenda’s letter has prompted a company analysis in order to ascertain the existence of the problems and find ways of curbing them. Failure to solve the problems will lead to more customer dissatisfaction and the company will end up losing customers.

Therefore, a customer satisfaction program should be put in place in order to satisfy and retain the customers. Moreover, the management of Best Food Superstores should encourage the employees to adopt ethical behavior with regard to the store policy. In addition, the prices should be adjusted to prevent charging the customers incorrectly.

Background

Best Food Superstores is one of the major grocery stores in town that sells onions, olive oil and ice cream, among other things. One of Best Food Superstores’ major competitors is Sobeys. Best Food Superstores has been receiving several complaints from customers dissatisfied with their services.

Customers are often charged incorrect prices for the goods they purchase, in addition to the unpleasant experience they go through in the hands of unethical cashiers. A company analysis is taking place owing to the bold step of one customer, Brenda, who could not take it anymore and therefore, decided to inform the president of the store. Brenda decided to make her grievances known the president since she frequents the grocery’s branch on Victoria Street and always receives dissatisfying services.

Statement of the Problem

While shopping at Best Food Superstores, Brenda has faced several problems. A year ago, she went to the store to buy a bottle of olive oil and was overcharged by $1. Brenda informed a lady at the service desk about the overcharge, who sent another employee to confirm the price. The employee was unhappy for being asked to check the price and therefore did not do it promptly.

The employee kept Brenda waiting as she talked to another cashier, and later chatted with another shopper. She came back and confirmed to the lady at the service desk that Brenda was right. Brenda got her refund but was offended by the unpleasant treatment and also the fact that the employee had referred to her as “missus”.

Brenda had another nasty experience while shopping for onions at the store. Though she admitted that the mistake was partially hers for picking a Spanish onion instead of a white onion, the employee treated her disrespectfully when asked to do the price check. He clearly displayed his lack of ethics.

Brenda had yet another disappointing experience at Best Food Stores less than two months ago. She received poor customer service. The store employees were not adhering to the store policy. A product had been scanned at a price that was higher than advertised, and she tried to get a free product from a cashier since the service desk was busy. This was in accordance with the store policy.

However, the cashier refused to give her the product and said she would just adjust the price since Brenda had not yet paid for it. When Brenda asserted that she had to get the free item, the cashier took the matter to the supervisor, who also tried to adjust the price. However, Brenda maintained her stand and the store manager had to be consulted. The store manager concurred with Brenda on the matter and she got the item free.

For the fourth time, Brenda had an unpleasant shopping experience at Best Food Superstores last week. She was overcharged again. She received her refund and realized that the cashiers had little knowledge about the store policy and what should be done in such a situation.

When she confronted them about the store policy, Brenda realized that the store only implemented the policy for the customers who knew about it while the others were taken advantage of because of their ignorance. This was very unethical, especially since those orders had come from the store manager.

Situation Analysis

The problems at Best Food Superstores arise as a result of the failure of the management to properly implement the store policy. The management has advised the employees to implement the store policy for only those employees who are aware about it or those who lodge complaints. This leads to unethical behavior of the employees towards the customers and consequently, they leave the store dissatisfied.

Recommended Alternatives

In order to increase customer satisfaction at Best Food Superstores, several alternatives can be adopted. Firstly, customers are a business’ greatest asset and therefore their satisfaction is of paramount importance.

Thus, the company should implement a customer satisfaction program in order to give the customers a pleasant experience and consequently retain them. The success of any business largely depends on its ability to attract and retain customers.

Another solution is the adjustment of prices to ensure that customers are not overcharged. This is a very prevalent problem at Best Food superstores and it makes the customers feel as if it is a plan to swindle them. Therefore, the management should ensure that the customers are charged the exact price that is advertised. In case of incorrect pricing, their complaints should be handled promptly and respectfully.

The problem of poor ethics also needs to be addressed. When customers are treated disrespectfully, they are unlikely to come back. The employees should be trained on the expected ethical behavior at the store.

There should be a forum to enable the customers to report any unethical employee behavior and the management should deal with such cases seriously as they determine the success or downfall of the store. Every member of the company should understand the importance of adhering to the store policy and should avoid selective implementation as all customers are important to the business.

All the above alternatives are very important in ensuring the success of Best Food Superstores. Customer satisfaction should be given the highest priority as a business without customers cannot succeed.

Action Plan

A customer satisfaction program should be put in place to ensure their retention. A successful program will incorporate the views of the customers in order to know what is best for them. The employees’ major concern should be to give the customers a pleasant shopping experience. Their grievances should be attended to promptly.

All the workers should be trained on the best ways to satisfy the customers. Moreover, the employees should comply with the store policy. Failure to satisfy customers will make Best food Superstores lose them to other competitors like Sobeys, who respond pleasantly and promptly to customer complaints.

Executive Summary

The “Best Food Superstores” has grown from a single grocery store to a leading superstore. These superstores offer the best selection, value and quality services. Mainly dealing in food substances, the stores have recorded sales above $42.5 million. The “Best Food Superstores” has risen to become a multibillion-dollar retailer and cooperation.

It is now regarded as one of the largest food retailers in the world. The “superstores” employ approximately 57, 000 associates in more than 335 different stores, manufacturing –plants, offices and distribution centres. Despite the prosperities the business is enjoying in the food market, there are several challenges that limit its profit margins. Among the limiting factors is the cost incurred by the business to offset energy bills (Miner, 2008).

Background

The “Superstores” low energy plan begun in the year 2000 when the management of the stores coined a new project which brought together representatives from different stores. This also included:- sister divisions, leading suppliers of the superstores ventilation as well as the heating and cooling equipment managers.

The aim of the project was to come up with a list of implementation techniques and ideas on indoor environment, quality air, energy conservation and efficiency. The project’s mission was to ensure that the criteria put in place by the “superstores” would lead to energy costs reduction and improved profit margins. Furthermore, it was intended to enhance the stores’ competitiveness (Kerin, 2010).

Statement of Problem

Average families visit these superstores approximately three times a week. As the families purchase food staffs, they are not bothered by the amount it costs the stores to maintain the butter, fruits, beef, ice cream and grocery containers at the ideal temperatures.

Behind these shelves of chilled meat, fresh produces and refrigerated coolers are the electric bills. These bills are a representation of one of the most significant costs in the food industry. Now that food superstores operate at profit margins that are miniscule, savings on such electric bills can easily translate into remarkable improvements in the long run.

In a typical food store, money saving techniques and the implementation of a new energy equipment can ensure that the profits from the stores are increased over a given period of time. The energy saving equipments includes individual systems such as building controls, lights and freezer cases. The management of the “Best Food Superstores” settled for a different approach in dealing with this energy issue.

The business designed a plan that would ensure that the “superstores” utilized less energy while at the same time, are environmental friendly. The organization hoped that by cutting down on energy costs, it would significantly increase the stores competitiveness and improve its profit margins (Kerin, 2010).

Situation Analysis

The “superstores” were designed in such a way that the installed prototype consumed approximately 25 percent less electricity compared to other designs in the business. To highlight this, the store adopted a new brand, “ The Low Energy Superstore”. The use of ‘LESS’ to reduce the store’s energy consumptions translated to an annual savings approximated at about 8, 000, 000 kWh. The review and designs managed to successfully deliver a 30 percent energy saving.

The retail superstores that installed natural light systems registered a significant increase in sales as this ensured that people no longer lingered and visited the stores more often than the customers in the traditional establishments. In such stores, lights were designed to focus on the stores’ products rather than the floors and ceilings. In addition, there were subtle designed features which enabled the customers to distinguish the departments easily resulting to a less stressful environment (Miner, 2008).

SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis of the plan is as follows; its strength is that the concept of the plan was to result in a significant cut on costs while at the same time enhance sales. The management was in full support of the projected thus it received full backing from all departments.

The weakness of this plan was that the implementation had to take into consideration the impact of the project to the adjoining residential neighborhoods in terms of the noise from the shoppers and delivery trucks, as well as storm water runoff. The opportunities before the plan were the already well established patterns that ensured easy access to the site. The main threat of the designed plan was that some of the senior management did not fully trust that the plan will be effective (Kerin, 2010).

Analysis of Alternatives

In addition to the use of ‘LESS’, the “superstores” could, as well, make use of fewer space heaters. Furthermore, waste heat coming from refrigerators can be utilized to provide direct heating to the store and preheat hot water domestically. During winter, burners lit using natural gas may be used to supplement the free sources of heat.

The savings should not only be concentrated on the inside of the store but also the outside. The ‘lot Stop’ and ‘parking lots’ are other areas outside the stores where the designs could also be applied. The lighting on the parking lots and the streets may be designed in such a way that less watts of about 150 watt bulbs could be used instead of the normal 400 watt bulbs (Kerin, 2010).

Recommendation

The design should not just cover the conservation of energy but also, waste material. The material from the renovation and construction of the stores, especially during the plan implementation period, can be put into other use instead of being disposed. Such measures include the use of strawboard substrate in place of particle board.

Implementation or Action Plan

The “Best Food Superstores” design enabled the firm to operate comfortably with the innovations geared towards saving on its energy consumption. The design introduced equipments like; natural lightings such as sky lights, the use of anti-fogging glass on cooler cases, rain water management and water conservation indoors. These innovations, put together, created a conducive and pleasant environment for consumers to shop. In the long run, the stores saved money. Based on its results, the plan was easily approved by the local authority.

This innovation increased the stores’ capital costs while cutting down on the operation costs. After the plan, the design became a standard procedure for the new stores.

The features included in the ‘LESS’ such as the automatic dimmers and skylights, reduced reliance fluorescents, cooler doors that were energy efficient and chillers, were implemented during renovations and construction of new structures in the business (Kerin, 2010).

The adapted, ‘LESS’, technology ensured that the business was cost effective. This was after offsetting the initial installation costs. The design was implemented in all the chain superstores globally and has remained as the sole the trade mark of “Best Food Superstores”.

References

Kerin, R. (2010). Marketing. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

Miner, B. (2008). Food Stores: State Market Index. New York, NY: MarketResearch.com

Executive summary

Best Food Superstores is one of the major groceries in Ontario. It has been successful in the market for several years. Recently, it has undergone a tremendous change. The customers are dissatisfied due to overcharging, segregation and mishandling. On the other hand, employees are incompetent.

According to the situation analysis, the grocery strengths are good reputation, many clients and production of diverse products at one stop while the weaknesses are poor marketing strategies and strenuous relationship between customers and employees.

Additionally, the opportunity is the existing client base while the threats are poor management, market demands and incompetent employees. As a result, Best Food Superstores need to increase its production, improve marketing strategies, train employees and implement good management practices.

Background of Best Food Superstores

Best Food Superstores is one of the major groceries located at Garden Place in Ontario. It has been in business for more than thirty years and it is highly reputable for the sale of products like onions and olive oil. As a result, it has a large market share in Ontario.

Many people enjoy shopping there because of the good services as well as the products that they receive. Nonetheless, Best Food Superstores has recently undergone a tremendous change in the business. Customers are dissatisfied with the kind of services that they receive.

On the other hand, employees are incompetent, thus, they provide ineffective and inefficient services. Therefore, Best Food Superstores need to attempt to retain its market share in order to remain competitive in the business environment.

Statement of problems

Best Food Superstores need to concentrate on a number of issues and set ways of addressing them. Customer satisfaction is the core issue. This is because customers play a vital role in the growth of an organization. They not only purchase products but also market them by words of mouth.

At Best Food Superstores, customer dissatisfaction is at a higher level. This is evident in a number of ways. The first one is overcharging. Best Food Superstores has started a habit of charging customers more than the set prices. For instance, the cashier charged Brenda an extra dollar on olive oil.

The second problem is customer segregation. Best Food Superstores apply policies to those customers who know there rights while letting the others suffer for their ignorance. This is evident in a situation where one of the employees told Brenda that the manager said that the overcharging policy should only apply to those customers who know it.

This incident happened after an overcharge took place and Brenda insisted for a refund. Lastly, mishandling of customers is part of Best Food Superstores habits. They advertise a product and put the notice on a different shelf with almost the same product but of a higher price.

As a result, many customers fall in the trap and end up purchasing an expensive product. For instance, Brenda purchased an expensive Spanish onion instead of a white one because the advertisement notice was on that shelf.

Another problem that Best Food Superstores is experiencing relate to employees competency. Some of the employees do not have public relation knowledge and experience; as a result, they do not know how to relate with the customers.

For instance, when the cashier requested one of the employees to confirm the price, she was displeased and she went chatting with another cashier and a shopper. On returning after approximately ten minutes, she called Brenda “missus”.

This shows disrespect to customers. Additionally, some employees are not familiar with Best Food Superstores policies. This came out clearly when one of the cashiers wanted to adjust the price after Brenda informed him that it was higher than the advertised one.

Moreover, another employee had a similar opinion that price adjustment should take place. The final issue concerning employees relate to the working environment. Employees despise each other.

For instance, an employee was not happy when the cashier sent her to confirm the price of a certain product. Besides, the manager reprimands employees publicly. For example, Brenda saw the manager reprimanding two employees for not abiding by the Best Food Superstores policies.

Situation Analysis

In analyzing Best Food Superstores, various strengths emerge. They include a good reputation, many clients and production of diverse products at one stop. To begin with, Brenda shops at major groceries. Since Best Food Superstores is one of them, it shows that it has a good reputation. Moreover, the fact that she has been shopping at Best Food Superstores for more than thirty years show that it is a good grocery.

Secondly, Best Food Superstores has many clients because it has been on the market for many years. Furthermore, on one occasion, Brenda found the service desk busy. This is a characteristic of an organization with many clients. Finally, Best Food Superstores offer a variety of products. They include products like olive oil and onions.

On the other hand, Best Food Superstores has a number of weaknesses. A poor marketing strategy is the first weakness of Best Food Superstores. The store markets its products via advertisements that confuse customers. Additionally, Best Food Superstores use price tags that show a lower price than the checkout charges.

Secondly, inefficient and ineffective relationship between the customers and employees put the grocery at risk of collapse. Employees are not ready to serve customers and they despise each other. Furthermore, they are rude to the customers.

Best Food Superstores has some opportunities. The existing client base makes it have a better place in the competitive business environment. Additionally, the existing policy is attractive to many customers. On the contrary, Best Food Superstores has several threats. It has a poor management practice.

The manager reprimand employees publicly. Secondly, the market demand is a threat to Best Food Superstores. Customers demand quality services because they know the policy of Best Food Superstores. Finally, incompetent employees are a threat to Best Food Superstores.

Analysis of alternatives

According to analysis of alternatives, Best Food Superstores has the option of maximizing on the strengths and opportunities while minimizing or alleviating weaknesses and threats. Best Food Superstores can increase the production of diverse goods. This will facilitate customer retention because they will receive all services at one stop.

Lastly, Best Food Superstores can develop a process that ensures the grocery policy applies to every customer regardless of his or her knowledge about them. This will lead to customer satisfaction hence an increase in sale.

Additionally, Best Food Superstores can improve its marketing strategies by proper advertisement. This will increase the customers trust because they will not worry about any deception. As a result, the grocery will have many clients hence a rise in the profit margin. Moreover, Best Food Superstores can empower its employees with public relation knowledge.

This will lead to an improvement in the relationship between the employees and the customers hence client satisfaction. Lastly, Best Food Superstores can implement a good management practice that concentrate on achieving employees as well as customers’ satisfaction.

This is important because satisfied employees always work hard to achieve the organization vision and mission. On the other hand, satisfied customers always increase the sales of an organization because of the purchases and words of mouth advertisements.

Recommendation

The analysis of alternative shows that good management practices is suitable for Best Food Superstores. This is because the customers, the employees and Best Food Superstores will benefit from good management. To begin with, the customers will benefit because they will receive quality products and services.

Secondly, the employees will benefit from a good management because they will receive the required training. Additionally, a good management is a motivating factor because it ensures that the working environment is conducive. Finally, Best Food Superstores will benefit from a good management because of the increase in sales.

Implementation

The implementation of a good management practice will take place after every person in the organization accepts that problems exist. A thorough analysis of existing problems will follow. Thereafter, the employees and the manager will suggest solutions that can address management issues.

The selection and implementation of appropriate solutions will take place. Finally, monitoring of the processes will be a continuous event to ensure that the selected solutions lead to improvement in the management of Best Food Superstores. As a result, Best Food Superstores will survive in the competitive business environment.

Executive Summary

The paper analyses Best Food Superstores with the aim of investigating some of the major complaints brought forth by its loyal customers. The organization has been charging its customers higher prices deliberately. Also, the organization is characterized by poor customer care services as employees are disrespectful and less knowledgeable about the store’s overcharging policy.

The marketing mix adopted by the store is the major cause of these complaints. It has been recommended that the organization should train its employees on customer care services, time management, loyalty, moral ethics, and being respectful. It has also been suggested that the organization should adopt a modern information system that will allow for a networking of the stores.

This would ensure that the prices are updated on a regular basis. The organization should reorganize its marketing mix and solve any existing flaws. Adoption of these strategies would reduce the complaints, increase customer trust, loyalty, and customer Background

Best Food Superstores is comprised of grocery chains stores that operate under the retail industry. Based on the case study, the retail stores operate in a competitive market although it seems that the company is more dominant than its competitors. The report is an effort to undertake a situational and alternative analysis to address some of the management and customer care related operational issues filed by its loyal customers.

Statement of Problem(s) or Issue(s)

One of the Best Food stores has been overcharging its customers deliberately on several occasions. Consequently Brenda, a customer at the store, has been forced to write to write a complaint letter to the president of the chain stores. On one occasion, Brenda was “overcharged $1 on a bottle of olive oil” (Mackenzie, 2007, p.31). Employees seem to be less responsible in offering customer care services and adhering to the store’s overcharging policy.

For instance, once Brenda bought the olive oil and was overcharged, she complained at the help desk where another employee was sent to cross check the prices. However, the employee under question took more than ten minutes to get back to the customer and she was later found chatting with a fellow employee instead of addressing the customer’s complaint.

The employee called Brenda a “missus” which is not a proper way of addressing a customer. In another incident, the same customer went shopping for onions at the same store. However, the price tag was wrongly placed and the onions where Spanish and not white as indicated on the label.

Some of the cashiers and employees at the store are misinformed about the store’s policy on what measures to take once a customer is overcharged. However, it seems that the overcharging was being carried out deliberately.

For instance, on a third occasion when an item is bought and charged at a higher price than advertised, the store manager reckons that they had addressed the issue during the previous week (Mackenzie, 2007). An employee admits that the manager had informed them to remain silence on the policy unless a customer had firsthand information.

This shows mismanagement, irresponsibility, and disrespect towards customers. It is an indication that the top management has conspired to reap off customers and use employees as a tool to practice unethical practices at the store.

Situation Analysis

This section uses SWOT and PEST analysis as well as marketing mix to evaluate the situation under which Best Food superstores is operating.

Table 1: SWOT analysis

Marketing mix

A marketing mix comprises of price, product, promotion and place/distribution (Bovay, 2008). The following is the analysis of the Best Food Superstores marketing mix.

Prices of most products based on the case study are charged above the normal market price. For instance, we have witnessed more than four incidents whereby the customer is charged more than required (Mackenzie, 2007). Also, the pricing strategy is deceitful as the store does not fulfill its mandate in honoring its end of bargain.

On the other hand, products are not poorly labeled and packaged and this confuses customers. For example, a customer picks onions that have been labeled white onions only to find that they are Spanish (Mackenzie, 2007). Packaging and labeling are issues that need to be addressed to avoid complaints from customers.

With regard to the issue of promotion, the organization makes use of advertising and promotion pricing placed under some commodities (Bovay, 2008). However, upon purchasing products, the customer realizes that the price is high as there are no promotions on offer (Mackenzie, 2007). This has the possibility of making some of the customers leave the chain stores. The store is strategically placed, and hence the high customer turnover.

With regard to the external environment, the company seems to be lagging behind technologically as the pricing on the shelves is different from those at the point of sale. This is an indication that prices are rarely updated in the store hence the overcharging issues. The store operates in a market which is currently faced with an economic crunch and recession (Mackenzie, 2007). This implies that the organization is operating under certain constraints.

Analysis of Alternatives

The organization needs to revise its marketing mix. For example, it has to put in place the correct price list, package and place the products at their right place, and honour the promotions being carried out. This would reduce customer complaints, increase sales, increase customer satisfaction, and enhance consumer loyalty (Bovay, 2008).

Training employees: The organization needs to train its employees on courtesy towards customers, customer care relations, and showing respect to customers (Cook, 2011). This would reduce any abusive language hence increasing customer turnover.

Employees can be trained on time management to ensure that no idleness during working hours as witnessed in the case study (Cook, 2011). The limitation of training employees is that it is an expensive venture and takes time for the employees to reciprocate.

Install information systems: The prices can be coordinated and updated through a networked information system. This would avoid overcharging, reduce complaints and increase customer satisfaction. However, the process of installing and implementing the network information system is expensive.

Initiate corporate ethics: The organization needs to initiate corporate ethics in order to ensure that loyalty, respect, trust, and moral ethics are observed. All the employees should be trained to observe and adhere to the set corporate ethics (Cook, 2011).

Recommendation & Implementation

It is recommended that all the alternatives are adopted in the long term. However, in the short run, the organization should train its employees and revise its marketing mix as this is the major causes of the issues experienced.

Table 2: Action plan

Conclusion

Best Food Superstores need to adopt the above recommendations and implementation plan in order to solve problems facing the company at the moment. This would reduce complaints from customers, increase customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Reference List

Bovay, K. (2008). The importance of marketing mix and the 4 key mix elements. Web.

Cook, S. (2011). Customer care excellence: How to create an effective customer service. (6th ed). London; Philadelphia: Kogan Page.

Mackenzie, H. F. (2007). Best food superstores. UK: Brock University, Faculty of Business.

Executive Summary

This paper gives a detailed analysis of Best Food Superstores with specific interest on the relationship between the store’s staff and its customers.

Several aspects in the customer service department have led to the development of a sour relationship between the stores’ loyal customers and some of the stores’ staff members especially the cashiers.

One of the major issues that have caused complaints from the customers is the overcharging of prices of various commodities in the store. Additionally, the stores’ employees do not uphold courtesy while serving their customers.

Most of the employees do not know some of the vital policies of the stores such as the pricing policy thus are not in a position to award quality service to customers.

Moreover, the food store exhibits products that have misleading labels-poor labeling. Due to these shortcomings, it has been suggested that the stores should do all that it takes to improve their customer service significantly.

It should consider training its employees on how to handle customers, ensure that products have proper labels and improve its entire marketing mix.

Background

There are several retail outlets in the Food industry. Among such retail outlets is the Best Food Superstores. This study revolves around one of Best Food Superstores.

The stores form part of a highly competitive market but have been able to acquire and maintain some loyal customers despite some flaws in both its operational activities as well as in the management.

This paper seeks to analyze the situation at hand, as presented by one of the store’s loyal customers, besides providing alternative ways of perfecting the store’s services to its customers.

The flaws in the store(s)

Best Food Superstores have been overcharging their customers deliberately and only address the complaints that knowledgeable customers. Brenda, loyal customer to the one of the stores, gives several instances where she was a victim of such.

In one incidence, she reports that she was overcharged $1 on a bottle of olive oil. According to the letter, she encountered more cases of overcharging.

Surprisingly, she seems to understand the pricing policy of the store more than the employees who have served in the store for a relatively long time.

This is evident in the incidence where the cashiers try to consult each other on what they would do in regard to an item she had just bought which apparently was overcharged.

The management of the stores is reluctant to address overcharging of products in the store. It has directed the cashiers to address the complaints of the customers who understand the policy.

Additionally, it has not trained the employees on how to apply the pricing policy. Consequently, the cashiers have to enquire from their superiors about what to do when a customer realizes that he/she is at the danger of being overcharged.

During Brenda’s second incidence of an overcharged item, the cashier had to call her supervisor who did not know what to do. The supervisor in turn had to call the store’s manager who gave the solution according to the policy.

The management did not act to equip the employees with the necessary knowledge since a third incidence of overpricing occurred in the same store.

An employee confesses that the manager had instructed them not to take the initiative in following the pricing policy unless the customer in question understands his/her rights as far as overpricing is concerned. This demeans customers.

Poor labeling of products is another issue experienced in the stores. Brenda reports an incidence where she picked a white onion in the place where Spanish onions were supposed to be stocked.

Poor labeling of products not only causes a client to purchase an item that he/she did not intent to buy but also lowers the customer’s satisfaction.

An analysis of the situation as presented in the case under study

Best Food Superstores have more weaknesses as compared to their strengths. The fact that one of its stores is located in the Victoria Street is a major strength to the stores due to the large number of people who frequent the street-potential customers.

Another strength that the store enjoys is the sufficient number of employees. The weaknesses of the store include its poorly labeling of products, overcharging of customers (exploiting them), poor customer service as well as lack of technological advancement.

Additionally, the employees are misinformed besides having poor management that does not value employee training. The stores do not have a well-formulated chain of command.

Due to the numerous weaknesses of Best Food Superstores, they may end up losing most of the customers who have had a bad shopping experience in the stores.

Another threat that the stores might face, is the eventual loss of profits. Not only the loss of customers but also its poor pricing of products will make the store to lose profits in the near future. The outlet also faces the threat of losing its reputation that it has built for over two decades, which can lead to its eventual fall.

Strategies that the store needs to adopt in addressing the problems

Customer care is one of the main aspects that improve the loyalty of customers to a given business organization. Best Food Superstores need to come up with a concrete customer care policy.

This will ensure that employees not only know but also apply the core values and principles in the delivery of quality service to customers.

In boosting customer care, the management also needs to embark on training its employees and staff to improve their interaction with their customers in the best possible way.

Employees will be able to respond to customers’ complaints quickly and with great efficiency. It will enable employees to handle customers politely and professionally earning their loyalty.

The stores need to improve on their pricing policy. They should not overprice their products with the aim of exploiting customers who might not have any knowledge about pricing.

Besides the formulation of better pricing policies, the management should ensure that their employees understand and apply the policy accordingly. In ensuring proper handling of price issues, the store should adopt new technology by embracing new information systems. This will ensure proper co-ordination of prices both in the shelves and at the cashier’s desk in all the retail stores.

In ensuring that the experience of customers in the store is satisfactory, the stores should adopt proper packaging labeling of products. Employees should ensure that products are arranged neatly under their respective labels. This will boost customer loyalty to the store.

Conclusion

Customer satisfaction is fundamental in enhancing the success of any business. Best Food Superstores need to adopt new strategies to eliminate the problems that their customers are facing.

Some of the strategies include training of employees, ensuring proper pricing and labeling of their products as well as adopting new technologies in information management.

Introduction

In the current world, the role of values and the importance of good decision-making are becoming increasingly fundamental tools in the successful running of organizations. The Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory (EAI) self-assessment, as an ethical evaluation tool, indicates the personal values of individuals (The Williams Institute, 2008). After conducting the self-assessment, I compared them with the values of Kudler Fine Foods to determine how they align with the values of the gourmet grocery store. By analyzing the strategic plan of the organization, I was able to gauge how the alignment of my values and the values of the organization would influence my performance if I were the leader of the fast-growing organization.

Personal values

My results from the EAI in terms of my ethical perspective revealed that I am inclined to base my ethical viewpoint on the outcome of my actions and I look for solid proof to authenticate if the actions of someone are ethical or not. These results validate my value of having a strong character since I ensure that individuals “walk the talk.” It is important to note that character is the internal benchmark that determines the decision that one makes whether something is right or wrong; regardless of the extenuating circumstances, gauging the difference between what is ethical or unethical relies on one’s character.

Kudler Fine Foods values

In terms of my ethical style, the EAI results indicate that I believe that every person should experience a “good life”; thus, if this is not realized, I tend to look for ways of improving the situation. This reflects my value of love of servant leadership. I value taking care of the needs of other people, protecting their interests, and empowering them to improve their well being. Further, my EAI scores concerning the frustrations I have to deal with when tackling various ethical dilemmas were not very satisfactory as they revealed that I tend to focus on the immediate scope of the problem when arriving at conclusions and I am often frustrated by conflicting perspectives concerning what is the most convenient course of action for the society as a whole and by the way used to get whose perspective eventually is accepted.

After analyzing the strategic plan of Kudler Fine Foods, I was able to comprehend the values that have steered its dominance in providing the finest gourmet products for its customers. The strategic plan of the organization is focused on meeting the needs of its customers. The organization aims to achieve this by delivering top-notch services and products to cater to the needs of its increasing clients. Kudler Fine Foods uses the freshest organic supplies to deliver products of the highest quality. It is important to note that the values of the company echo those of its founder and manager, Kathy Kudler, who has the vision of ensuring that shoppers get what they have paid for by providing them with quality products and services.

She has inculcated the practice of establishing a relationship with the clients into the culture of the organization. Thus, the company values its customers and it has experienced specialists in various departments address their various compliments and complaints. Ms. Kudler even handles the feedback from the clients herself. The one-stop-shop for a wide variety of fresh ingredients for meals offers reasonable prices for its products and it demonstrates good business ethics and values since its products cater to the well-being of the community. Also, the company values generous giving to ensure that the underprivileged in society experience a “good life.” Products that fail to meet its stipulated standards, but have not gone out of shape, are usually given to the local charities to assist the needy. For instance, the company has often donated day-old bakery products to the people without homes instead of selling them via a different outlet to increase its returns.

Alignment of personal values with those of Kudler Fine Foods

Thus, aligning my values with those of the organization indicates that they are complementary and I can effectively serve as a manager at the grocery store. As indicated by my high EAI scores, the values of consistent quality products and services delivery at Kudler Fine Foods goes together with my innate personal values. As my ethical perspective is to encourage the best results in all types of situations, the company also aims to provide high quality in one shopping experience for its customers. The various departments of the company aim to produce the best results daily by providing the freshest products to its clients. To achieve this, the departments always buy the freshest and finest foods. More so, based on the strategic goal of the company, they are obligated to make sure that only fresh food is on the shelves for selling to the customers.

Based on the values of Kudler, my performance as a leader of the organization would be successful. Since our values are complementary, I would start by embracing the company’s vision and values so that they are a part of me in my management role. As a result, these attributes would be evident in my leadership style. Since leading by example is an important aspect in management, the employees at the company would inevitably embrace the same statutes (Yukl, 2002). Efficient service to the shoppers would go on and even become better since if I will know that something is wrong, I would do my best to have it fixed at the earliest time. More so, this would be beneficial in making the employees stay motivated.

The commendable initiative that the company has taken to assist the less privileged in society is an outward demonstration that it cares for the good of the community. This generous giving characteristic of the company as the probability of enhancing my performance as a manager since it authenticates my innate values of doing my best to realize what is best for society as a whole. As a manager at the company, my objective would be to earn the confidence of Kathy; thus, I would endeavor to demonstrate that my values and those of the company are consistent. As such, even if I tend to get frustrated quickly with a wide selection of conflicting perspectives, I would do my best to ensure that I make decisions coherently.

Conclusion

To this end, it is evident that my values and those of Kudler Fine Foods are complementary and I can effectively perform as a manager at the company since this coherence will assist me in seeking to strengthen the values that are already found in the company with even better results.

Reference List

The Williams Institute. (2008). Ethics Awareness Inventory (EAI). Web.

Yukl, G. A. (2002). Leadership in organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

The natural foods market in the United States is a growing and highly competitive segment, which provides substantial opportunities, but poses significant challenges. Research shows that the consumption of such products has notably increased in recent decades, and they currently account for a considerable part of total food sales (Hwang & Chang, 2019). However, this upward trend attracts the attention of large retail chains with immense financial and human resources. Thus, the success of a company willing to enter this market largely depends on careful planning and implementing all the aspects related to its store opening. Every detail can be a valuable factor in determining new business efficiency and attractiveness to its potential customers. The elements requiring specific attention include selecting the right location, hiring the necessary people, arranging the initial supplies, defining the expected financial indicators, and conducting an efficient promotion campaign.

The first issue to be solved while planning to open a new store is choosing the optimum spot for it. It is difficult to underestimate the significance of this decision since it is going to shape the customer profile and business performance for years. The first consideration in this regard is to ensure sufficient market potential at a given location. This also includes analyzing the visibility of the future store and street traffic at its place. Then, it is necessary to analyze the existing competition, especially generated by large-scale chains. For this purpose, a spatial accessibility model can be used, which classifies all areas based on the distance from a retailer selling similar products (Wang et al., 2018). It is also reasonable to consider that people with higher-than-average income constitute the majority of potential customers since the price is the primary barrier to purchasing such products (Hwang & Chang, 2019). Besides, good placement relative to suppliers and available infrastructure can substantially reduce future logistical expenses. When all these aspects are taken into account, the selected site becomes a foundation for a successful business.

The next critical step is to determine the required staff for the store opening and its operation. It is possible to involve temporary workers for some tasks, but most employees should be hired permanently. Sharing the authority with future employees and allowing them to make some decisions within their competence brings them to feel their importance and generates an overall favorable corporate culture (Wah, 2017). The first position to be filled is the store manager, responsible for the general administration of its opening and operation. It is then feasible to think of an accountant to be in charge of the financial aspects and the arrangement of all banking relations. A person specializing in purchasing should be appointed for the initial stockpiling and concluding of the necessary supply contracts. Finally, several merchandisers, sales managers, and cashiers should be hired based on the expected store size. It is also necessary to admit that outsourcing some activities, such as legal services, is a feasible approach for a small or medium enterprise. This will allow creating a dedicated and professional team for the new store.

After hiring the required personnel, it is reasonable to define the expected financial characteristics and necessary stock for the store opening. The first task is to calculate permanent expenses, such as rental fees and utility payments. Within their reduction efforts, evaluation of the possible energy saving options, along with the costs of their implementation, should be conducted. Then, it is necessary to calculate labor costs based on the previously selected organizational structure. Various administrative fees and the expenses for initial supplies will constitute the final part defining mandatory spending for a store opening. Based on the known available budget, this will allow determining the spare funds, which can be allocated to the promotion campaign. Besides, evaluating the expected revenues based on the initial market research and newly received store expense data will allow obtaining preliminary profit values. The review of all these financial indicators will both substantiate the previous decisions and serve as a motivator for the necessary adjustments in-store placement and structure.

Finally, a critical step for a new retailer is a targeted and efficient promotion campaign, in which the grand opening occupies a central part. Since the store belongs to an already popular natural foods market, it should be focused not on the overall benefits of this type of product, but the particularities of the given business. It should provide specific data such as “location, merchandise, hours, prices, and special sales” (Lamb et al., 2017, p. 254). For this purpose, it is reasonable to order a short news story in several local newspapers and magazines. Besides, a door hanger campaign dedicated to the grand opening ceremony and distribution of discount coupons can be valuable for increasing retailer popularity (Brown & Fullen, 2017). The main idea to be reflected in the advertisements is the dedication to its quality, which is the principal factor for most natural purchasers in this segment (Hwang & Chang, 2019). This comprehensive promotion campaign will be a crucial tool for the success of a new store in this highly competitive market.

As the discussion above shows, planning for a grand opening is a complicated task requiring consideration of multiple aspects. The selection of the proper site will define the potential number of customers and the level of competition. Hiring the right personnel and distributing their responsibilities properly is another required prerequisite for successful business operation. A proper promotion campaign will increase brand awareness and make it popular among the locals without imposing an unnecessary financial burden on the company. Although all these activities require significant time and effort, their proper execution will create a foundation for the long and smooth operation of the new store.

References

Brown, D., & Fullen, S. (2017). How to open & operate a financially successful specialty retail & gourmet foods shop. Atlantic Publishing Company.

Hwang, J., & Chung, J. E. (2019). What drives consumers to certain retailers for organic food purchase: The role of fit for consumers’ retail store preference. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 47, 293-306. Web.

Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2017). MKTG. Cengage Learning.

Wah, H. E. (2017). Your smart retail market strategy book. Partridge Publishing Singapore.

Wang, L., Fan, H., & Wang, Y. (2018). Site selection of retail shops based on spatial accessibility and hybrid BP neural network. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(6), 202-222. Web.

Stew Leonard values fun since it influences the environment of the store. Fun fosters a favorable environment for shopping. A satisfied customer will likely purchase more goods, even those not on their shopping list. Those who frequently experience daily stress can find solace at Stew Leonard’s. This is written at the store’s entrance: “First rule: The client is always right.” Rule 2: “If the client is ever in error, read Rule 1 again” (Zeveloff, 2015). Consumers would feel welcomed and at peace immediately, since they know they will be taken care of. Once inside, a visitor could partake in various “fun” activities (Stew Leonards Grocery Store, n.d.). Stew Leonard’s cares about its staff members just as much as it does about its customers. According to Stew Leonard Jr., “You can’t have a happy customer unless you have happy people” (Zeveloff, 2015). Stew Leonard’s makes it a priority to treat its employees well and even provides extra benefits like scholarships and business investment options to keep them satisfied (Zeveloff, 2015). Even the smallest things may be made more enjoyable, leading to fantastic relationships between the business, its customers, and even its employees.

Fresh dairy goods, prepared dishes, fresh produce, and many samples are available at Stew Leonard’s. It contains an inventory of internally produced goods. These goods are both of high quality and great value. Consumer decision-making is the procedure customers use to choose what products to buy (L, 2021). The first step is deciding what to buy. In contrast to other grocery stores, Stew Leonard’s has a small range of goods. If they create the goods themselves, there is a good chance it will not have a brand from a rival. If you need detergent, Stew Leonard’s may not carry the brand you currently use, but they may be able to provide you with another at a much lower cost.

But, unlike Stew Leonard’s, regular retailers like Kroger do not make shopping there an enjoyable experience. A consumer’s decision-making process involves five steps: problem recognition, information search, alternative option assessment, purchasing choice, and post-purchase review. Because of their focus on the family and the fact that parents can shop while their children are being amused, Stew’s might attract customers concerned about child safety and minding in the modern world. They also provide high-quality goods, which, when added to the fact that their kids are well-cared-for, may encourage people to shop at Stew Leonard’s.

References

L, M. (2021). Consumer decision making: meaning, process, views, models, levels, types and factors. Your Article Library. Web.

Stew Leonards Grocery Store. (n.d.). Web.

Zeveloff, J. (2015). 13 reasons Stew Leonard’s is actually the best grocery store in America. Business Insider. Web.

Publix is a private food retailer company that operates in five states across the US. George Jenkins founded the company in 1930 in Winter Haven, Florida (Publix, 2013). Over the years, Publix has grown tremendously to be a Fortune 500 company. It has over 1073 supermarkets in different states with more than 160,000 employees.

The company is employee-owned, but it has the fastest growth rate in the US. Its annual revenue for the year 2012 was $27.5 billion. The company aims to create a pleasant experience for its customers. The company does not want to disappoint its customers.

Publix is a grocery store that serves all types of customers from various backgrounds in the US. It supports complete inclusion and diversity. The company also supports community projects and youth soccer.

The role HR in fostering the organization’s mission

Publix’s mission is to be the “premier quality food retailer in the world” (Publix, 2013). As a result, it is passionate about customer value, reducing waste, promoting dignity, and employment security. In addition, the company devotes itself to the highest standards of stewardship for stockholders. Finally, Publix promotes responsible citizens through community programs.

The HR department is a strategic partner at Publix. Qualities of employees are critical for overall performances of the company. Over the years, Publix has grown in terms of retail stores, sales, and the number of employees. This has been possible because the HR department has broadened its roles. It has grown beyond the traditional roles of employees’ welfare and administrative duties.

Instead, the HR department has leveraged its expertise by using right people to provide positive contribution for the success of the supermarket. Human resource professionals at Publix have a major role to play in promoting the company’s mission statement and achieving its strategic objectives. The HR department has encouraged employees’ participation in corporate social responsibilities (CSR).

This has happened because the HR department has the tools to leverage and engage employee commitment to community services, customer values, dignity, and eliminate waste within the company. Publix has been able to integrate CSR in its core values and practices throughout its retail stores across the US. Generally, employees prefer to work in companies that promote their values and align such values in their core operations.

Therefore, CSR is one way of attracting and retaining top talents at Publix. The HR department has been able to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion at Publix. More than ever, Publix has found it necessary to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion in order to operate in various markets across the US. This makes it relevant and viable in a competitive supermarket industry.

The HR department at Publix has recognized the importance of promoting cross-cultural competence in its workplace. The HR department must strengthen diversity and inclusion at the company. The core role of HR professionals is to make employees and the company to manage and leverage differences so that employees and customers from different backgrounds can promote strategic goals of the supermarket.

The HR must support inclusion and diversity because Publix aims to be a quality food retailer globally. The HR department also has the responsibility of total quality management in the retail stores (Vaikos, Jamage and Tale, 2012). In this regard, the HR department must recruit and retain highly qualified employees. In addition, the department must engage and train employees on a continuous basis and create a favorable reward system.

Thus, it is the role of promoting Publix’s mission through its quality workforce. Total quality management must affect all employees at Publix. Publix must note that the role of the HR department at the workplace has changed because of business practices and technologies. The HR department must promote effective working methods, create standards, select, and train employees for achieving strategic goals of Publix (Summer, 2005).

Assessment of the common HR challenges facing Publix

Managing change and culture

Publix serves all types of customers from different backgrounds and socioeconomic status. Thus, managing changes and cultural differences across five states of the US is a major challenge for the HR department. The department must recruit employees who would serve all customers without discrimination. Thus, it must emphasis the importance of promoting inclusion and diversity across all its 1073 outlets.

Cost management

Publix has over 1073 outlets with over 160,000 employees. Hence, managing recurring expenditure is a major challenge for the retail store. The HR department must control costs of employees’ remuneration and benefits. At the same time, it must also reward employees well in order to attract and retain top talents.

Generally, grocery stores have low profit margins. Thus, the HR department must recommend lean and efficient workforce to reduce employees’ costs. Labor cost remains the most manageable expense in any organization. For instance, some retail stores normally reduce the number of employees during tough times.

However, the HR department must not compromise quality and customer care when reducing the number of employees due to cost reasons. This could lead to poor services, lost customers, and revenues. Publix has increased the number of its retail outlets. This initiative requires highly qualified staff, which may come at increased costs.

Training employees

In most instances, supermarkets fail to budget and train their employees to acquire the required skills for the industry. However, training is important because it improves employee productivity and reduces staff attrition. When Publix fails to budget for employee training, it experiences high staff attrition, low productivity, poor customer services, and increased costs for future training programs. Thus, the HR department must insist on regular staff training.

The use of technology

Today, Publix has improved the use of technology in its retail stores. This could be due to expected return on investment, improved customer service and operational efficiency. It is important to note the low profit margin in the supermarkets. Therefore, any investment in technologies must maximize returns to the business. Employees should use such technologies to demonstrate immediate payback through efficiency, cost reduction, and maximizing profits.

However, this may not be possible because of low qualifications of employees on the use of modern technologies. Thus, the HR department must recruit qualified employees who can use new technologies for cost reduction and improving operations at the stores. Some technologies aim to enhance checkouts or provide additional information to customers.

Justifying returns of such technologies may be difficult, particularly when the supermarket’s focus is the ultimate profit. In order to realize the impacts of the new technology, the HR department must recruit qualified employees or train them.

Staff attrition

Competition within the retail industry has changed HR practices. The industry requires highly qualified employees, who may not available. As a result, the search for highly talented and qualified employees has led to high rates of staff attrition in the retail industry. Supermarkets have noted that customers demand and require fast services. This has led to pressure on employees and other resources.

Employees left retail stores with demanding roles and poor compensation. The company must implement effective reward systems, employee training, and work management. This would allow Publix to retain its employees and attract new ones.

Leadership and succession management

Creating a strong leadership in an organization is important for present and future performances. In the retail industry, this could be difficult due to high rates of staff attrition. As a result, the company must highly reward potential leaders in order to retain them. However, this may increase costs or lead to poor selection of employees to take management positions.

Hence, the consequences have been mixed, but with several challenges. The supermarket must grapple with the challenge of retaining potential leaders and integrating the best performers in its management structure without affecting employees’ productivity. In some cases, the supermarket may even promote best performers who lack leadership qualities (Bernthal and Wellins, 2006).

Publix must understand how to retain and promote its best performers, particularly those without management abilities. The HR department should only put the right persons in management positions rather than best performers who cannot manage others.

Constant supply of qualified employees

The supermarket industry lacks constant supply of professionals in different departments. This is a major challenge that the HR department must address effectively. The department itself may lack the right professionals to strengthen its position within the company and devise effective and creative methods of improving employees’ performances.

Given the low supply of qualified staff and the importance of the business, Publix HR department must constantly seek for professionals both within and outside the industry for its expansion programs.

Improving performance management and rewards

The HR department has a significant challenge in improving employee performance and creating a suitable reward system for best performers. On this note, it is critical for the department to create performance management and appraisal systems for the company. In addition, it must reward employees based on their performances. Rewards may vary, but must be acceptable.

Effectiveness of the above recommendations

Based on different challenges that Publix HR department faces, the above recommendations are effective for mitigating them. For instance, studies in HR policies and practices indicate that performance and reward should match each other in order to motivate and retain employees (Wan, 2007). Training has been effective in enhancing employees’ performances, customer service, retention, and career growth.

Training will also improve employees’ skills in the use of modern technologies in retail stores. Such new technologies present opportunities for the company to deliver best services to its customers. In addition, training will help the HR department to identify potential leaders for company.

Controlling operation cost is an area that any supermarket must observe. Publix must avoid excessive rewards for its employees because of low profit margins in the grocery stores. Effective controlling of labor costs can result in high profit margins for the company. The company can use such profits for training, expansion, and recruiting competent employees.

These recommendations require efforts, skills, and resources in order to be effective. In addition, managers must also support recommendations during their implementation to guarantee success.

References

Bernthal, P., and Wellins, R. (2006). Trends in leader development and succession. Human Resource Planning, vol. 29(2), 31-40.

Publix. (2013). Company Overview. Web.

Summer, L. (2005). Employees: your most important stakeholders. Corporate Responsibility Management, 1(5), 2.

Vaikos, P., Jamage, D., and Tale, S. (2012). Total quality management initiative in supermarket and role of HR manager. World Journal of Science and Technology, 2(5), 54-57.

Wan, H. (2007). Human Capital Development Policies: enhancing employees’ satisfaction. Journal of European Industrail Training, 31(4), 297-322.